The controlled and selective migration of C—C double bonds is of high synthetic value, because it facilitates in situ access to certain isomers for functionalizations, which would not be feasible otherwise. Unsaturated aliphatic carboxylic esters, amongst them fatty esters, have been studied as substrates for these isomerization reactions since more than 60 years. The double bond migration of olefins has been combined with several functionalization reactions, like hydroboration, butenolysis, methathesis, methoxycarbonylation, hydroformylation hydroaminomethylation. Especially for long-chain unsaturated fatty esters from renewable feedstocks, isomerizing functionalizations are only known to a small extend, and these examples from the literature have in common that the trapping reaction takes place at the methyl terminus of the alkyl chain, see for example publications K. Y. Ghebreyessus, R. J. Angelici, Organometallics 2006, 25, 3040-3044.
Thus, there is a constant need for the development of new or the improvement of known reactions and reaction sequences which lead to β-functionalized aliphatic esters. Especially preferred are reaction sequences which allow obtaining the product in a one-pot reaction rather than using various different and cost generating reaction steps.